HOME | DD
Avapithecus — Aphelion: Chapter 11
#animus #aren #arlie #assassin #ava #cole #creed #desmond #england #fanfic #kiki #miles #modern #morgenster #parents #assassinscreed #nesher
Published: 2017-11-12 16:04:09 +0000 UTC; Views: 1176; Favourites: 0; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description
“How's she doing, Rubes?”“Same as before. She's out cold, but I'm still getting these weird brain activity readings.”
“Hmm…”
“I'm keeping watch on her, Ben. Don't worry.”
“Worrying is what I do best.”
“I know. That's why I'm saying you shouldn't.”
“I guess…”
“What's on your mind, man? I can tell you're thinking of something.”
“We need to call her, Rubes. We need to tell her.”
“Who?”
“...”
“...Oh no. No way.”
“Ruby…”
“Do you have any idea how she'll react if she finds out what happened to Ava?”
“Ruby please…”
“No.”
“She has a right to know.”
“I… ugh… Just give it some time first, okay? At least give me some time to be able to find proof that Ava can come out of this alive so that she doesn't straight up murder us.”
“Deal.”
“Thank you, Ben.”
------------
May 27, 2016; Animus Island
“I'm getting real sick of this headache,” Ava groaned as she rubbed her head and sat up.
“You get used to it,” said Desmond. Ava wasn't even surprised anymore. She expected him to pop out of nowhere by now.
“I think I'm suffering from coffee withdrawal.”
“You poor soul.”
“Ass.”
Desmond smirked and shrugged. Ava couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
She looked over to the other side of the island. Another set of repressed memory pillars was glowing.
“Oh good,” Ava said jokingly. “I get to go be my mom again. Because that's another conversation I wanna have to have when I get home.”
“Think of it as a bonding experience,” Desmond joked back.
“That's a bit too much bonding for my tastes. Still… I gotta admit I'm still curious about my dad. Like, I never knew him. And yet here he is, bright as day. An Assassin. I just… I don't understand…”
“Well hey, there's a great chance you're gonna get your answers in there. You're doing a great job syncing with a your ancestors. You're going at a great pace. I'm sure you'll get all your answers long before it's too late.”
Ava nodded confidently. “Yeah. You're right, Desmond. I'm pushing through this like a champ! I can do th- Wait what? Too late?” Her heart sank as those last words finally clicked in her head. Desmond gave her an awkward expression.
“Oh… yeah, I forgot to mention that, didn't I?” he said.
“Mention what?”
“Ava, don't panic.”
“Don't tell me not to panic! Panic is what I do best!”
“Ava, calm down. I'm only gonna be able to help you through all this if you calm down.”
“I… ugh… fine. Just… what did you mean by too late?”
“Alright so the thing is, this Island isn't built to last. It's a backup program, a data template. The Animus does routine scans of its programming every now and then to wipe junk files and other unnecessary stuff. Stuff like this Island and… well… us…”
“...So what you're saying is?”
“We're scheduled for deletion, Ava. You've only got a few weeks to get the hell out of here before your mind gets deleted from existence forever.”
“Oh God…”
“You can do it, kiddo. I did it. You can too. You're already doing really well. Just take a deep breath, keep up the pace, and don't give up. You'll be back to fighting real life Templars in no time.”
“I told you I'm done with that stuff.”
Desmond simply smirked, and started fading away. Ava tried to protest, but he was already gone by the time she could finish the word “wait”. She gave an angered pout in frustration. She turned back toward the pillars, and took a deep breath like Desmond told her to. If she was in a race against the clock, she figured she'd best not waste time. She went up to the pillar, saw the reality-defying room beyond the space, and she stepped through. As her body faded and her mind molded, she gave one last quick thought of “here we go again”, before she found herself in London once again. And yet again, she found herself running for her life.
------------
September 19, 1994; London, United Kingdom
“Never exactly been the best at stealth, have you, my dear?” Aren joked as they ran away from the bullet storm that was erupting behind them.
“In my defense, this time wasn't my fault!” Kiki insisted.
“I beg to differ.”
“How was I supposed to know that cat was there?”
“By using your eyeballs. They're rather nifty tools.”
“Oh just shut up and run!”
“Can do, my dear!”
The two of them sprinted through the alleyways of London as the Templars chased them down. Kiki couldn't explain it. Any sane person would be miserable at this point. Evil goons shooting from behind, out of breath and sprinting through crowded streets trying to escape, scrambling around looking for a place to hide. No one would want to be caught in that situation.
And yet, here she was. She wasn't scared. She wasn't miserable. She wasn't even mad with all the stupid jokes that Aren kept making. She was having the time of her life. She felt like a superhero. All the adventures that Aren had brought her on ever since that night at the store, all the stories she learned about his Brotherhood and their fight against the Templars, all the thrills and laughs she was able to be a part of. She felt like an action hero. And having Aren by her side, with his witty jokes and his smile that never faded, just made everything better. He had really turned her life around in ways she never thought anyone could.
And she loved it.
The two of them kept up their escape through the alleys. Eventually, Aren tapped her shoulder and motioned upwards. She nodded and followed his lead as they rounded a corner and swung onto a fire escape that was waiting for them there. They scurried up the stairs as fast as they could, not stopping until they reached the rooftops.
“Oh good, now we can get a great view of the skyline,” Kiki joked.
“It is quite a spectacular light show at night, isn't it?” Aren joked back. They laughed, but then got right back to running once the ringing of bullets filled the air behind them.
They leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Kiki wasn't quite as nimble and graceful as Aren, but she was getting there. Aren knew she'd have to be able to keep up with him if she was going to be a part of his adventures. They kept running and running until they came to a stop on the edge of the Thames River. They looked behind them. The Templars had found their way to the roofs as well.
“I think it's a lovely night for a swim, don't you, darling?” Aren said as he grabbed Kiki’s hand.
“Sounds good to me,” she said, and with that the two sprinted towards the edge of the building and leapt off of it. They shouted as they went soaring through the air and prayed that their leap of faith would get them where they needed to go. To their endless gratitude, it did. The next thing they knew, they splashed down into the murky waters of the river. They held their breaths as long as they could and swam towards a crowded patch of the water. They lugged themselves onto shore, catching their breaths and ringing out their clothes as best they could. They could hear the Templars way in the distance now, but they were still barking orders at one another to find their two enemies. Kiki and Aren didn't waste any time sticking around. They took off into the crowded streets once again, and they vanished into the sea of people.
------------
September 19, 1994; London, United Kingdom
Aren jumped and laughed full heartedly once he and Kiki had gotten back to their hideout, a little warehouse on the edge of town. Kiki laughed and celebrated right along with him and the two jumped into a hug.
“We did it!” Aren laughed. “We finally beat those old dogs at this race! Haha!”
“I can't believe we actually pulled that off!”
“You still have it right?”
Kiki nodded and reached into her bag, withdrawing from it a glowing hunk of golden metal shaped like a little triangle. It was small and didn't look like much, but Kiki knew how crucial it was that it was in their hands and not the Templars’. After all the stories she'd been told and experienced for herself, she knew that if Cole Morgenster got his hands on this thing, this Pick of Eden, it would be bad news for everyone.
Aren laughed loud and joyfully and hugged her again. She couldn't help but laugh along. They'd been in a race to make sure the Templars never found this thing for well over a year now. They had quite the scare when they caught word that the Templars knew where Aren had hidden it years ago, but thanks to the success of this mission, they no longer had to worry. It was safe in their hands, and the Templars had no idea where they were.
“So what do we do now?” Kiki asked Aren.
“We've got to make sure this thing is hidden far away where the Templars never find it,” he said.
“Well California is already off that list.”
“Oi, it wasn't my fault someone dug it up!” he joked. “I picked that hiding spot perfectly.”
“Clearly not perfectly enough,” Kiki laughed.
“Oh shoosh. We're lucky those two kids were Assassins at least. I was able to contact them and bring the Pick here without any problems.”
“Except Morgenster.”
“Well Morgenster is always a problem.”
Kiki laughed. “True. So where do you think we can hide it?”
Aren put a finger on his chin as he thought. “Why don't we hide it where it was originally hidden?” he said, his eyes lighting up as the idea came to his head.
“What do you mean?”
“My great-grandmother was an Indonesian Assassin named Apsarini Rajawali. She managed to get the Pick back from the Templars back in 1894 before hiding it away in a temple. They wouldn't recheck that temple if they already thought it was long gone from there.”
“Well then we gotta get to Indonesia!”
Aren nodded. “I can have our tickets by the end of the week! Tropical vacation, just you and me, my dear!”
Kiki giggled and blushed. She felt that warm fuzzy feeling again when he said “you and me”. The two of them had grown so close over the months. They both brought something new and thrilling into each other's lives, something strong and passionate. They were more than just friends after all they've been through. They had shared so many tender moments. It started with just sitting in each other's arms, then hugging, then snatching the occasional kiss. They loved one another more than anyone they had met before. They completed each other. It filled her heart with a joy she never thought she could feel. She never wanted to leave his side. She never wanted these grand adventures of epic proportions to come to an end.
“I'll go ahead and go make some calls,” Aren said as he walked toward the back room. “I'll be back in a mi- Oh well hello!”
Aren suddenly started backing up towards Kiki, whose muscles quickly tensed. She looked over his shoulder, and she gasped. He throat went dry. Standing in the doorway was Cole Morgenster, cane, scars, and all. His grey eyes glared at the two of them as he smirked.
“Well if it isn't Mr. and Mrs. Nesher,” he said, his voice scratchy and low as always.
“We're not married,” was all Kiki could think to say.
“What, Mr. Nesher here hasn't popped the question yet? I'm surprised. You two are always getting all flirty with each other.”
“Oi, don't rush me! I only just got the ring!”
The room suddenly went pin-drop silent. Even Morgenster looked slightly surprised at the accidental slip. All the blood drained out of Aren’s face, and Kiki’s as well. Her heart felt like it came to a screeching halt. Either that or it was going so fast that she couldn't tell the difference.
“Welp, that cat's out,” was all Aren could think to say. He tried to sound jokey as usual, but his own slip caught him off guard. “Er… but that isn't the point right now! What do you want, Morgenster?”
“You know what I want.”
“Look, I know I'm incredibly handsome, but I told you I'm not interested.”
“The Pick, jackass.”
“This pick?” He pulled an old guitar pick out of his pocket.
“If you don't shut up and hand over the Pick of Eden, I'll just kill you both right now and take it from your bleeding corpses.”
“You really have a way with words, don't you?”
Morgenster swung his cane right at Aren’s temples. The Assassin barely had time to react, but thankfully he managed to duck just in time to avoid the blow and lunge on top of his foe.
“Kiki! Run!”
“I'm not leaving you!”
“I appreciate the concern, darling, but this isn't the time to- agh!”
Morgenster kicked Aren off of him and the two stood to fight. Aren used his hidden blade to block the blows from Morgenster's cane. “Kiki, I mean it! Go!” he called to her.
Kiki took a few steps back, but she didn't leave. Her eyes darted all around the room, looking for a solution. She looked up and noticed a flimsy metal shelf above a stack of crates. She ran for it, jumping up onto the crates and yanking a pole out of the set up. She leapt back down to ground level and darted at Morgenster. Aren saw what she was doing and he lunged at Morgenster to both distract and restrain him. He grabbed onto his coat collar, making the Templar struggle just long enough for Kiki to rush up and bash him over the head with her metal pipe. Morgenster went down like a fallen tree, out like a light. Aren stepped back, out of breath. He smiled at Kiki, who smiled back.
“Nice work,” he said.
“And you wanted me to leave,” Kiki joked.
“Ah, you know it would break my heart if you left me.”
“Clearly.”
Aren blushed. “So… about the ring thing…” he started to say.
“It had better be shiny,” Kiki said, unable to contain her cheeky smile. Aren stared at her.
“Wait what?”
“Well I'm just saying. I'd hope my engagement ring looks nice.”
Aren blinked and stared disbelievingly. “So… is that a… yes, then?”
Kiki felt the beginnings of tears on the edge of her eyes. “Yes!” She ran straight up to him, jumping into a hug. “Yes yes yes of course yes!”
“Really?” Aren hugged her right back, his smile brighter than the most spectacular sunrise.
“Yes Aren yes!”
“Haha! My lord, yes! Thank you so much, my dear!”
“Thank you! Oh my god I love you so much.”
“I love you too, darling. I love you too.”
The two shared a long, passionate kiss, one filled with more thrilling joy than either of them had ever felt before. It took the slight stirring of Morgenster to get them to finally leave each other's arms.
“Right then, my lovely fiance,” Aren said. “I think it's high time we go take a flight to Indonesia. What do you think?”
“No argument here.”
“Splendid! Let's get to it then! Off we pop!”
The two started running back towards the front door, laughing as they went. So many thoughts were rushing through Kiki’s brain. She could hardly believe it. She was getting married. She was getting married. She had never once been happier than she was now. She couldn't wait to tell her mom back home.
The two ran up to the door. Aren went through first, disappearing from view as he passed through the wall of ones and zeroes that was behind the doorframe. She followed close behind, phasing through the barrier and feeling herself shift and twist, in body and mind, as she ran back through the exit corridor and found herself stumbling onto Animus Island once again.
Ava tripped over a rock and ended up stumbling into the digital grass. She sighed. Go figure.
“Need a hand?” she heard Desmond say. She looked up, and took the hand that he had extended to her. He pulled her to her feet.
“What a proposal that was,” she joked.
Desmond laughed. “Not exactly my ideal proposal, I'll admit,” he said. “But hey, at least they were happy.”
“Yeah… they were happy…” Ava trailed off, looking into the distance as she thought. “I still don't get it,” she said. “Things were going so well. Mom looked so… happy. She had finally found a little adventure in her life… She… she loved it so much. She just liked being with the people she loved and saving the world…”
Her mind went back to her friends, back to Ruby. The regret in her heart just kept growing with each passing moment. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe quitting was the wrong way to go. She was doing a lot of good to the rest of the world. If only she could've just looked past her own struggles… Maybe things would've been different.
She still thought back to her mom and dad, about how happy the two of them were together on their adventures. One question still plagued her mind through all of this: “What changed?”
She turned around to see if Desmond would give some input, but he had already disappeared on her. She sighed. “Great. Guess I'll just have to keep going to find out.”
She made her way back over to the other side of the island, towards the big main gateway into the memory corridor. She was all in at this point. She was on a time limit, so she had to speed up the pace. She jumped right in. She felt her body fade away once again, her mind going with it as she entered another time and stepped into the shoes of her ancestor long past. She held her bow in her hands and kept her eyes sharp as the void around her twisted and warped into the snowy wasteland that she and her new tribe had to traverse.
She didn't care how far they had to travel. She had to make sure that Tanaguq never succeeds.
Related content
Comments: 6
I feel like ava
Because both i and she are racing against the clock
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Marathon of our school exams
.
1st Tomorrow is math(hardest version of trigonomethry,limit&derivative(l'hospital)
and integral)
2nd day is physic(basic harmonic motion)(vectors with sinus,cosinus,tanjan,cotanjan)
3rd day is biology(dna,rna)
4th day is turkish history and literature(20th ceuntry)
5th day is chemical(electro chemical and bio-chemical)
So if i fail one of them ,ill screwed up
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
It is sweet about Ava seeing her folks in action, and realizing leaving the Assassin Brotherhood would be the wrong choice.
And yes. And I pity you/Carter and the Indianapolis gang feeling Ava mommy wrath at being kept in the dark for so long.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
XD The Hoosier gang sure in in for a massive storm
👍: 0 ⏩: 0